Page 67 of Sear
There were about two dozen men and women already gathered in the space, most of them standing and holding glasses filled with soda.
Not a beer in sight. Lucas groaned silently. He predicted he was going to need a drink before the night ended.
As he and Malia reached the bottom of the stairs, everyone turned to look at them. Most of them looked curious, but there were a few hostile glowers.
One of those death-glares came from Kymberlie, the blonde club owner. She apparently hadn’t forgotten their parking-lot run-in a few mornings ago.
Malia halted abruptly. Her hand tightened around his, and the stress levels in her scent skyrocketed.
Shit,thought Lucas.This is all my fault.
He squeezed his mate’s fingers in silent encouragement, and they continued their descent.
Years spent as a game warden had strengthened Lucas’s ability to project calm and confidence in tense situations. He drew on this now to ignore the silence and stares as they crossed the room to the sofas.
He couldn’t help looking around the assembled wolf shifters for any sign of Gage Tringstad, and was relieved to see that his fellow game warden appeared to be absent.
Working overtime again, no doubt,he thought.It was practically a way of life at the chronically-understaffed IDFG.
“Uncle Bill, Aunt Mandy,” Malia said as they stopped in front of one of the older couples. “I’d like to introduce my new mate, Lucas Winter, a cougar shifter from Boise.” She turned to Lucas. “Lucas, these are my pack alphas, Bill and Mandy Jacobsen.”
Bill was a tall, lean man in his late sixties, with close-cropped white hair and an upright, military posture. Malia had mentioned that her great-uncle had been the sheriff and town’s police chief for several decades.
He met Lucas’s gaze unwaveringly, his mouth set into a thin line.
Mandy appeared be the same age as her mate, with a friendly smile and bobbed light brown hair threaded with silver.
“Pleased to meet you, sir, ma’am,” Lucas said, conscious that Malia’s hand had gone ice-cold in his. “Malia’s made me a very happy man.”
Bill inclined his head. “Welcome to the Bearpaw Ridge Pack, son.” His tone was absolutely neutral.
“Thank you, sir,” Lucas replied.
Oh yeah, Bill was not happy about having to admit Lucas Winter, sketchy wannabe-poacher, into the fold.
Lucas hoped that Lucas Concolor, Regional Investigator for Fish and Game, would be viewed more warmly when the time came.
Mandy’s smile looked forced. “Congratulations on your mating, Malia and Lucas. May you both have a long and happy life together.”
“Thank you, Aunt Mandy,” Malia said politely. Stress spiked in her scent, clearly triggered by the alpha pair’s distinctly lukewarm reaction.
She turned her attention to the other older couple next. “And these are my grandparents, Dr. Derek Jacobsen and Malia Jacobsen. They’re the pack’s senior beta pair.”
Derek and Bill must be brothers, Lucas guessed, noting the family resemblance between the two men as he and Derek exchanged greetings and shook hands.
Grandma Malia grinned up at them, and Lucas saw where her namesake granddaughter had gotten her smile. “A whirlwind romance, or so I’ve heard!” she said with genuine warmth. “Have you set a date yet? I justlovea good wedding!”
“I hope you don’t plan to hold the ceremony inBoise,” Mandy interjected in a forbidding tone.
“Um…” Malia shot a slightly panicked sidelong glance at Lucas.
Lucas shook his head. “We’re still working on the details. We promise we’ll let everyone know as soon as we’ve settled all the logistics.”
“Oh.” Both Mandy and Grandma Malia looked disappointed.
They turned to the second sofa. “Mom and Dad, this is my mate, Lucas.” Malia’s grip on his hand became almost painful. She looked up at Lucas. “They’re the pack’s second beta pair.”
Great. She hadn’t mentioned that her parents were second-in-command. That explained why they were here, at the front of the room.
